Golf club



` Patented May 5, 1925.

f UNITED STATES N 1,536,616'- PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN-T. MANNING, or nRooKLrns, MASSACHUSETTS.

L eoLr eLUB.

Appncanonfuea November a2, 1924. semaine. 751,491.v

' To all whowtit may concern:t

Be it knownthatI, JOHN` T. MnNNrNG, a citizen of the United States, and resident 'of Brookline, county' of Norfolk, vState of y Massachusetts, have invented an Improveclub which will tend to prevent the erroneous drives known as a slice or a pull Slicing'a golf ball in `making a drive is usually the resultof the golfer having his hands in advance of the striking face of the club-at the moment that' the ball is struck. When this conditionexists the sriking face of the Vgolf club-issituated at an angle to the direction in which the golf club is moving instead of at right angles thereto, as should be the case, and this angular relation betweenV the striking face of the golf club and the direction in which the club is moving, which results from having the hands in advance of the club head, tends to divert the `ball from its intended course and causes the slice. Moreoverthis angular relation tends to cause the ball to roll over the driving face of the club in a direction away fromthe golfer during the interval of time that the club is in contact with the ball thus setting the ball to spinning, which results in causing the ball to curve away from its intended course. v i

If, on the other hand,'the golfer makes the swing in Vsuch a way that his han-ds are in the rear of the golf head, or, in other words, if theV golf `head is in advance of the hands, at the `time that the vball is struck the result will be a drive commonly referred to as a pull that is, the ballwill tend to be car-y ried off from the intended course in a direction toward the golfer.

My invention has for one of its objects to provide an improved golf club which will correct these tendencies and will enable the'` golfer to drive the ball in thedirection in which the golf club is moving when it strikes the ball even though the driving face of the golf club is not `at right angles with this direction of movement. This object is provided for by making the driving face of the golf club with vertical grooves which are of a size and shape to fit the. curvature of the l golf ball. 'Ihe presence. of thesergrooves prevent any rollingmovement of the golf ball over the driving face and serve to hold the ball in a `fixed positionfrelative to the club while the club and ball are in engagement thus giving the ball an impetus in the direction inwhich the club is moving.

"In order to give `an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment of my invention thereof which willnow be `described after which the novel features will be pointed out `in the appended claims.

.Fig. 'l 1s a perspective view of a golfl club embodying my invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are more or less diagrams matic views showing the manner in which my improved club operates..

TheL invention is applicable to various types of golf clubs such as drivers, brassies, spoons,- putters, etc. I have, however, illus-` trated it as it would be applied to al driver and l indicates the head of the golf club which is provided with `the driving face 2 and?) indicates the. shank of the golf club to which the usual handle i is secured.

In accordance with my present invention the driving face 2 of the golf club is provided with a pluralityof vertically-extending grooves 5, which are shaped to present a -fluted or` scalloped face. The grooves -5 are relatively shallow and have a transverse curvature which fits that of the golf ball.

These grooves provide in effect pockets. The ridges 6 where adjacent grooves meet are rounded slightly as shown. E

The manner in which. the club functions as compared with an ordinary golf club is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In Fig. 2 an ordina-ry golf club `7 with aflat driving face .8 is shown. The golf ball is `indicated at 9.

Fig. 2 is intended to illustrate the erroneous position `of the golf club at the bottom of the swing and when it strikes the golf ball which will cause a slice. In said Fig. 2 the line 10 indicates the direction in which the' golf head is moving, and in which it is intended to drive the golf ball 9. Fig. 2 shows the position of the club when the golfer strikes the ball with his hands in advance of the golf head. Under such conditions' the striking face of the golf club stands at an angle to the line 10 and as a driven in the direction of the dotted line 11 Cir rather than in the direction of the correct line 12; This tendency is augmented by the fact that the golf ball 9 will tend to roll over the striking face 8 in a direction away from the golfer during the followy through movement of the golf club and while. the golf ball is in contact with said face. This action tends to setthe golt ball spinningv which will result in causing the ball to curve away from its true line.

` Fig; 3` illustrates the manner in which. my improved golf. club corrects this error. It it bev assumed that the; golfer strikes a ball with his hands in advance o the golf. headasshown in iiill lines Fig. 3 the golf ball will immediately settle into one of the grooves 5 where it receives its real driving Contact and Where; it. will remain during, the follow through1 movement, as shown in dotted lines 3. Said ball will thus be prevented. froml rolling over the striking face of the golf club and. will be held stationary with4 reference to said face While in contact therewith and until it leaves said face on` its flight down the fairway. As a result the ball will: be projected in the dis rection indicated by the dotted linev 1.12 which isv parallel to the. line 10.- indicating. the direction in which the gol-f club. is moving..

If, when the gol-f club strikes the ball, said ball is caught squarely one of the grooves 5 then they ball will have no movement. relative to the striking. face during the follow through movement. It, however, the ball is caught' by the; golf club at apoint between the grooves: as shown; in full lines Fig. 3 then the golf ball will ivnainedate-ly settle into the nearest adjacent groeve: and will be heldand reni-ain there during thevtirne that the. golf club: is in contact4 with the ball as. above: describedy and with the result that the ball will. be' driven in the direction in which the. golf club is. moving. A slice will thus. beX prevented.

On the other.I hand, if the ballis struck squarely on the center of one ot the ridges 6 they saineI eeetA may be produced as iii'- the balli were struck by an ordinary flat-faced club. If, however,` the ball is struck. at a point either side ofthe center of the ridge by even a small amount the ball willsettle into the nearest groove as above described and. be retained until the ball leaves the face of the Club.

My improved golf club will correct or prevent a pull in the' same way as illustrated in Fig. 4. A pull results from striking the ball with the golf head in advance of the hands which places the striking face at an inclination to the line. 1Q in ywhich the golf. club isinoiving as shown in Fig.. 4.

' With nay improved golf clab the ball 9 will` be caught by one of the grooves 5 as shown in Fig. 4l. as above, described,y and will be held in the groove bythe pressure. of the swing dfuringfthe.` carry through movement andA until the ball leaves the face of the club- The so-ca-lled. follow throng 1% movement tends to straighten out the drive and to; bringy the tace; of the golf club at right angles. to,` the direction o the hole but whether the clubis entirely straightened or not the tendency for a pull drive is overcome; by reason or' the fact that the ball is held in one of the grooves; and unt-'il it, leaves the 'ace of the club- While I have shown in-y invention as applied to av driver yet it., will? be obvious that it is equally applicable; to other golf clubs such as putters, spoons, er brassies, etc.

Iv claim :i

l. A golf clubhaving a scalloped or luted driving facel presenting vertically-.extending shallow grooves each having a transverse curvature approximately that of the golf ball.

2. A golf club; having scalloped or tinted driving face present-ing vertically-eittend` ing shallow grooves each having a transverse curvature' approximately that of the gold? ball,I the ridges between the grooves beiing rounded.

3. A golf club having on its driving, tace a vertically-extending shallow groove having a transverse curvature approximately that.y o' the golf ball.

In testimony whereoit, I have signed my name to this specilicatibn.

JQHN T. yMANNING. 

